Quality Of Life

Regional Efforts Should Include Focus On Land Use

June 21, 1995

When people discuss the future of the Peninsula, education, the quality of the work force, diversification of the economy and better regional cooperation are almost always part of the conversation. Tax rates and transportation usually receive plenty of attention. And, oh yes, there's that hazy concept of "quality of life" that's sometimes mentioned, but never in much detail.

What does quality of life refer to? Crime is certainly a quality of life issue, but usually crime is a subject that is discussed separately. We'd define quality of life as positive attributes of a community that make it an appealing place to live and that are considered separately from the meat and potato issues of good jobs, good schools, etc.

Certainly without good jobs and good schools, a community is unlikely to be able to offer much in the way of quality of life. But it does not follow that good jobs and schools will guarantee a good quality of life.

Jack Edwards, a member of the James City County Board of Supervisors, touched upon this point last week at a gathering of business and civic leaders to discuss regional cooperation. His point was aimed at what is certainly one critical part of quality of life: land use. In warning that the Peninsula needs to protect its physical assets, Edwards said, "In economic development there's a temptation to consider job creation over all other factors."

To succumb to that temptation is to give in to short-term thinking. As Edwards said, "The success of economic policies will depend on the quality of the area in which they take place."

Economic development efforts that ignore - or worse, that undermine - the physical beauty and the environmental health of the Peninsula hurt the long-term best interests of the community. Whether the issue is clean water or streetscapes cluttered with signs and utility lines, land use issues will play an important role in determining whether companies want to locate on the Peninsula, and whether people will want to live here for any reason other than a paycheck.